Coach concedes lack of continuity hurting offense

Shane Buechele handled quarterbacking duties against Baylor, scoring on a 28-yard run in the 38-7 victory.

Shane Buechele handled quarterbacking duties against Baylor,...

AUSTIN - Tom Herman is a "Milky Way guy." A big admirer of caramel and nougat. He cannot remember donning any particularly memorable Halloween getups. The 1983 Disney flick "Something Wicked This Way Comes" - an adaption of Ray Bradbury's 1962 fantasy novel about a macabre traveling carnival led by the demonic Mr. Dark - still gives him the willies.

Herman revealed a lot on Monday, except who will start at quarterback for Texas (4-4, 3-2 Big 12) against 10th-ranked TCU (7-1, 4-1).

For the first time in weeks, both Shane Buechele and Sam Ehlinger are relatively healthy. The former shrugged off lingering ankle pain to lead UT over Baylor in a 38-7 shellacking; the latter cleared the team's concussion protocol and returned to practice on Sunday.

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Texas at TCU

When/where: 6:15 p.m. Saturday; Fort Worth.

TV/radio: ESPN; 790AM.

LT Williams

not quite ready

Texas left tackle Connor Williams is "close" to returning.

"I think next week would be optimistic, and the following week might be a little bit more realistic," coach Tom Herman said. "But we'll see."

The junior All-American has not played since injuring his knee in the second quarter against Southern Cal on Sept. 16.

Williams was fortunate to avoid surgery after suffering a torn meniscus and sprains of the medial and posterior collateral ligaments, and it now appears he could be back in time for UT's trip to West Virginia on Nov. 18.

Nick Moyle

"Probably the only silver lining to having those guys banged up, and both of them having played very well at times, is that we don't have to name a starting quarterback," Herman said.

He added, with a slight smirk: "I think by Wednesday or Thursday, we should know internally, but that's for them to figure out."

Whoever starts under center for Texas will have to face a defense as frightening as Mr. Dark and his soul-harvesting circus. TCU ringmaster Gary Patterson has been at this a long time and, after nearly 17 full years on the job, has demonstrated a supernatural ability to adapt and prosper.

"I kept looking and (TCU is) No. 1 in the Big 12 in passing defense, No. 1 in rush defense, No. 1 in total defense, No. 1 in scoring defense," Herman said. "I look, and I see five of their eight games this year they've held their opponents to 14 or less points, four out of eight to seven or less."

Most frightening of all for the Longhorns' oft-injured quarterbacks: TCU leads the Big 12 in sacks. Six players have recorded at least two, led by junior defensive end Ben Banogu (4.5). UT ranks 91st nationally in sacks allowed (2.5 per game).

"I don't know that there's a superstar on their defense, and I think that's probably the way coach Patterson likes it," Herman said. "It is a very well-balanced defense that gets production from a lot of different areas."

Herman would love to stick with one quarterback for the remainder of the year beginning with this matchup. He also understands that type of permanence might not be in the cards this season given the glut of injuries, not only at quarterback but on the offensive line. Luck is a considerable factor when it comes to continuity, and right now Herman is in desperate need of a rabbit's foot swathed in four-leaf clovers.

"It has been hard. It'd be foolish of me to say otherwise," Herman said. "I do think there is a rhythm, there is a continuity factor, especially in the throwing game with the receivers and timing and all of that.

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"To say that we'd like one to ride out the next four games, yeah, I think that's pretty accurate. Now, is that realistic? I don't know. Recent history tells me it's not. But, I think that would be ideal."

The constant threat of injury is a chilling concern for any coach, particularly when facing a defense as physically domineering as TCU's.

Something wicked this way comes for UT on Saturday - Herman just hopes he'll be able to stomach this act.